, April 16 (UPI) -- KING SCORPION'S TABLEAU OLDEST KNOWN WRITING?
A recent finding attributed to ancient Egypt's King Scorpion may represent the oldest form of writing yet discovered, according to a New York Times report. The discovery is a 5,250-year-old tableau of a victorious ruler, perhaps the so-called King Scorpion, who may have played a role in unifying ancient Egypt. If the findings are correct, it is the world's oldest known historical document, pushing back 'known history' another 100 to 150 years, to 3250 B.C. John Coleman Darnell, a Yale Egyptologist and his wife, the Egyptologist Deborah Darnell, discovered the tableau in 1995 while surveying ancient trade routes in the desert west of the Nile. Their work will be featured in a new book to be published in June by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and on the upcoming television program, "The Real Scorpion King," to be shown April 23 on the History Channel. The finding "may not be exactly 100 percent writing, only proto-hieroglyphs, but the tableau really is able to impart the who, what, (and) where of an event," said Darnell. A comparison of the symbols on the tableau with later symbols suggest that "we may be seeing evidence of a rapid development from proto- to true writing occurring, perhaps in the lifetime of King Scorpion," said Darnell.
NANTUCKET SOUND CONSIDERS WORLD'S LARGEST WIND FARM
Wind-power proponents are lobbying for a wind-power facility in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts. On windy days, some 170 turbines could generate about half of the energy requirements for Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, according to a New York Times report. Brian Braginton-Smith, James S. Gordon and Brian Caffyn, partners in Cape Wind Associates, hope that the 'wind farm' will produce clean electricity. But critics worry that the turbines would disturb birds and harm fisheries, and perhaps discourage tourists. Other wind farms exist across the country and in Europe, but none approach the size of the one proposed. "We've really only just begun what's going to be a long, thorough and comprehensive permitting review," said Mark Rodgers, a Cape Wind spokesman. Opponents promise a fight. Among them is Wayne Kurker, president of Hyannis Marina. "A good portion of us who migrated to Cape Cod came to enjoy Nantucket Sound," he said. "And if Nantucket Sound becomes an industrial, electrical generation area, then it's no longer the national treasure that people currently feel it is. We look at this as our wilderness, our national park."
BURSTING GLACIAL LAKES THREATEN HIMALAYAS
A United Nations report indicates that 40 lakes in the Himalayas are in danger of bursting their banks and causing devastating floods with little warning as far away as 100 kilometers downstream. The lakes form as mountain glaciers melt, and this process appears to be accelerating due to the effects of global warming. "Unless urgent action is taken, any one of these lakes could burst its banks with potentially catastrophic results," Surendra Shrestha of the U.N. Environment Program told New Scientist. The floods used to occur about once every 500 years but have become far more frequent since 1950, according to Shrestha. Similar dangers could be in store for others living near mountain glaciers. Risks around the Peruvian Andes have been recognized since 1970.
ASIAN HUMAN GENOME PROJECT LAUNCHED
In a project they hope will benefit people suffering from diseases that specifically affect people in Asia, scientists at the Seventh International Human Genome Meeting in Shanghai announced the launch of the Asian Human Genome Project. It could be the first of a number of projects aimed at looking at the genes of specific ethnic groups. Some human conditions are found exclusively in Asia. "For example, some Orientals can't drink alcohol because they have a genetic defect in alcohol dehydrogenase (the enzyme that breaks it down), but in Caucasians I think no one has such a mutation. So, Orientals are very susceptible to alcohol but Caucasians are not," Yoshi Sakaki, the new president of the Human Genome Organization, told the British Broadcast Corp.
